Opposition voices major concerns over Anthony Albanese’s boat policy after arrival of third illegal vessel

A new political battle has broken out over Australia’s border policy, as the Coalition warns hundreds of asylum seekers could die at sea because of Labor’s abolition of temporary protection visas.

A group of people, reportedly Chinese nationals, was located in remote Western Australia on the weekend, having arrived on the coast undetected.

The group has since been sent to Nauru.

It’s the third known arrival since November, sparking a warning from the Coalition that Australia could be about to begin another period of high levels of boat arrivals.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has maintained that boats arrived under the previous government too, and there has been “no change” in policy since then.

“We will deal with any unauthorised arrivals consistent with Operation Sovereign Borders, and that’s what we’ve done,” Mr Albanese said on Sunday.

But opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said Labor’s abolition of temporary protection visas provided an incentive for people to “get on boats and come here”.

“The abolition of that visa by this government has sent the wrong message to people smugglers and would-be asylum seekers, and regretfully appears to have encouraged them to get on boats again and the reason why that’s such a problem is we know last time, that cost at least 1200 lives at sea,” he told ABC News.

“We don’t want to see that happen again. We don’t want to see people drowning on unseaworthy vessels on the way to Australia … we’re about to see that again.”

Labor abolished the TPV and the Safe Haven Enterprise Visas in February 2023, opening up a path to permanency for thousands of refugees who arrived prior to OSB’s establishment in 2013.

Senator Paterson said he was “very concerned” that the government appeared to be slashing the border force budget, instead of increasing it.

The government has routinely denied the claim, with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek spruiking the $500m extra given to Operation Sovereign Borders under Labor.

“Of course, we don’t like to see boats arrive and these people have been dealt with immediately,” she told Channel 7.

“It sends a strong message to smugglers who might consider sending people on this terrible, dangerous journey.

“The commander of Operation Sovereign Borders has made it clear that nothing has changed (with the border policy) … that the settings are as strong as ever, and they have got the extra budget now.”

Her panelmate Barnaby Joyce said Coalition analysis suggested there had been a 14 per cent reduction in the surveillance capacity of the borders, and a $16m reduction in the budget.

Ms Plibsersek said “that is not right”.